Best Small-Plates Menu 2008: One80

A wise man once said, “Never eat anything bigger than your head.” As an alternative to the 3,000-calorie, bulk-sized entrees served at casual dining chains such as Applebee’s, the small plate (or “Smaller Bites”) menu at One80 offers variety, value and a spectrum of flavors — plus one spectacular surprise offering that we will not reveal until the end. Nicoise, picholine, cerignola and Moroccan-cured olives, marinated in oil and warmed, are the adorable little stars of the Spoonful of Olives plate. They offer a savory counterpoint to the praline-cheese truffles — pecan-encrusted goat cheese served with rosemary-infused honey. Other offerings include prosciutto-wrapped dates, white-bean hummus served with black-olive tapenade, and hand-cut potato chips with gorgonzola-and-blue-cheese dip and smoked bacon. But the menu’s superstar small plate is definitely the gorgonzola cheese fries. In case that didn’t register, gorgonzola cheese fries. One80 serves up house-made fries covered with melted gorgonzola cheese and tomatoes, elevating the already genius-level combination of cheese and fries to a whole new rarefied culinary height.

Starts: Jan. 13. Daily, 2009